


The Calm Before The Storm

by kuhekabir



Series: Fire and Ice [1]
Category: The Avengers (2012), The Avengers - All Fandoms, Thor (2011)
Genre: Angst, Betrayal, F/M, Gen, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-04
Updated: 2012-06-04
Packaged: 2017-11-06 20:26:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/422850
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhekabir/pseuds/kuhekabir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Anger courses through him, white hot and fierce. The earth trembled underneath  him as thunder roared through the sky. Lighting flashed overhead, basking the otherwise dark night in blinding white light.</p>
<p>It had begun.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Calm Before The Storm

**Author's Note:**

> I have created a series tag Fire and Ice since I am not ruling out that there might be more. But for now, this part is self contained. The idea came to me this morning and I had just had to get it out of my head. I've been thinking for a while that most stories focus on Loki (whom I adore, don't get me wrong) but what about Thor? He's been through a lot too and with everyone always telling him he isn't as smart as Loki or as cunning as others, I figured he'd eventually reach his limit...right?
> 
> This is supposed to be Thor/Loki although this part is mostly pre-slash. If there will be more in this series, it will definilty go towards Loki/Thor.

“You will regret this. I vow it.” Thor's voice echoed through the otherwise quiet hall, shock and disbelief almost manifesting due to the strong emotions in the air. When he turned, no one stopped him. No one _dared_.

##

For Loki. Everything for his brother. But he'd been a fool, like he'd always been told. He was the brawn, unfit to rule, no brains to back up any of his ides or plans. He'd needed Loki for this and he could no longer count on his little brother to have his back. 

It used to sadden him and now, it only angered him. He'd done everything for him. Turned his back on his family, on Asgard...on everyone else...all to save his stupid little brother's life even if many had claimed he deserved nothing but death.

Loki's crimes had been many but he hadn't deserved what his so called father had been ready to inflict upon him. Even their mother had looked aghast, sharing a look with Thor and when he'd nodded, she'd backed off, leaving it to Thor to look out for the youngest family member.

Especially when it had become apparent what had really happened. Thor had already forgiven his brother for trying to kill him so many months ago. He'd been in the throws of a horrible discovery, lashing out and frankly, Loki wasn't the only one in the family to claim a nasty temper. He was usually better at concealing it, more prone to getting even quietly than actually starting a riot like Thor but there had never been any doubt on Thor's mind that Loki could equally lose his composure if the right buttons were pushed.

Oh and those buttons had been pushed!

And finding out he was adopted, the son of a king, the son of an enemy and of people both hated and feared by everyone in Asgard...as soon as Thor had learned of the reasons behind the actions, he'd forgiven Loki. Unfortunately, he'd thought his brother dead, perished in the long fall between realms.

When he'd resurfaced, his actions had been so drastically different to anything Thor had ever known his brother to be capable of. Oh, lashing out, starting mayhem...sure, those were Loki's trademarks but wanting to be worshiped? Desiring to be king? No, this wasn't the brother he'd always known and he'd been right.

There had been more to Loki's madness than just madness. And Odin had known. When he'd passed down a sentence so horrible it had everyone falling silent in the gigantic hall in Asgard, Thor had been close to throwing up. But he'd still thought his father's wrath could be justified even if Thor hadn't believed it right.

When he'd brought to light the real reasons behind Loki's schemes, the sentence hadn't been lessened so Thor had sprung his brother free, risking Odin's wrath.

Their confrontation had been the stuff of legends since no one had ever foreseen it would be Thor who would actually challenge his father thus. And he had...for Loki, for what was right.

 

“I will pardon Loki,” Odin's voice held power, his command final. “But if he ever sets a foot on Asgard again, his life will be forfeit.”

No one had ever accused Thor of being smart. He was offended. He knew his skill was elsewhere. But he wasn't stupid either. It might take him longer to figure things out than it did most but when he did, there was no way to stop those wheels turning until everything had fallen, had settled into place.

And in that moment, when Odin banished Loki and stared at Thor, he'd _known_. His father had known all along of the real reasons behind Loki's actions. Sure, punishment had still been necessary but without his efforts, without his actions, the realms would've been overrun by an unknown army without any means of fighting back.

Now not only was Midgard warned, so were the other realms and preparations had begun for the war that was coming.

And Odin had known. He'd known and had still been willing to have his youngest son suffer for all eternity. If a father could so callously throw a child to the wolves, then what reassurances did Thor have that the same wasn't going to happen to him? To his friends? To his mother? Difficult decisions were a part of any ruler's life but this? This was beyond excusable.

“You will regret this. I vow it.” Thor's voice echoed through the otherwise quiet hall, shock and disbelief almost manifesting due to the strong emotions in the air. When he turned, no one stopped him. No one dared.

##

But this wasn't why he was here, staring at the crashing ocean waves with wind tousling his blond hair. No, as deplorable as his father's actions were and as controversy as Thor's challenge was, this wasn't why he was standing at the edge of the coast, mourning what could've been.

##

“Why did you bring him here?” Jane hissed, eyes narrowed. Her whole body echoed her unease and she wasn't the only one.

Thor smiled at her. She didn't understand, couldn't understand the bond between him and Loki forged over countless battles, games and shared misery. He didn't hold it against her to distrust his brother. Nor did he think any less of his fellow Midgardian shield brothers to be cautious of the new situation. But they would come around, he was sure of it for they were his comrades in arms. He trusted them and they surely trusted him.

Loki looked mulish, standing in a corner and glaring at everyone. It was adorable and reminded him of the brother he hoped he hadn't completely lost yet.

“We could've gone to any other realm,” Thor answered, knowing it wasn't completely true. They would've faced difficulty anywhere they'd gone but if he'd learned anything over the years it was to use his words cautiously. Loki raised an eye brow at him, catching him in his half truth. “But I chose to come here because you are here. And my friends are here.”

Jane smiled at him, pulling him down for a quick kiss and he allowed her the freedom to take charge. She was a delightful woman, so frail and yet so strong. She was the embodiment of a shield maiden and yet, she wielded no ordinary weapon. She was one of a kind.

“He's with me. You have my word Loki will not be a threat to your world. Not anymore. Don't we have bigger problems to worry about?” Thor addressed the one eyed man known as Fury who, eventually, nodded in barely concealed dislike.

“Alright,”the man slowly acknowledged. “We have indeed more pressing concerns.”

And this was how Loki and Thor were allowed to stay in Midgard, moving into Stark's tower.

##

“Why did you do it?” Thor asked, fighting to keep the pain away, not wanting to belief in the truth presented before him but he feared he could no longer deny the inevitable.

“You aren't my brother,” Loki hissed, his beautiful green eyes holding no warmth. “What does it take to get this fact through your thick skull? We aren't related. You don't owe me anything. And I don't owe you anything either!”

“But I promised, I would always look out for you!” Thor protested. “You are my little brother. You are mine to protect and...”

Loki only huffed and Thor stopped talking.

“Thanks for bringing me here. For getting me out of the Allfather's prison. I really appreciate it but honestly, how dumb do you have to be to actually believe I would ever do the same for you? That I would go back to being the idiot who trusts in family?”

“Loki...” Thor tried again.

“No, you idiot,” Loki hissed and this time the term _idiot_ did not hold the warmth Thor usually associated with it. “We're done. I won't be indebted to you. We aren't related. Good bye.”

Then, Loki vanished, leaving Thor to face the consequences of his broken promise to the Avengers.

##

Thor wasn't one for listening to others talk. He was the one who always faced a challenge head on and he didn't like to think pressing his ears to the door was the way to go about things. The honorable way was to confront problems head on, not necessarily talking about them but if need be, solve the tension in battle until all was settled and done.

But when his name was mentioned together with Loki's, he stopped to listen. His usual ways, his so called honorable ways, had gotten him nowhere, so maybe it was time for him to try out new things.

“How can we trust Thor if his word means nothing?” the one called Hawkeye pointed out. “He gave his word Loki wasn't going to escape and yet he did!”

“Are you responsible for Natasha's behavior?” Stark pointed out.

“No,” It was Natasha now who spoke. “But Thor gave his word. And more importantly, he insisted we could trust it. And now we have Loki on the lose with his powers intact on top of having to prepare for a potential battle with a crazy Alien who likes death and wants to _dance_ with us. We don't have the time to worry about both...”

“Thor has a blind spot when it comes to his brother,” Steve admitted. “It is an understandable weakness but what worries me is that after all the facts, he still refuses to see reason.”

“So what?” Stark voiced. “He cares for family. There's nothing wrong...”

“No, it isn't wrong,” Steve admitted carefully. “But in battle this is a weakness. Didn't he try to talk to Loki before? When he was trying to invade Earth? Instead of actually fighting him, all he ever did was try to talk to him and we can't have this kind of weakness on our team. We need to be able to trust each other without having to worry if Thor will run off to save his little brother.”

“Aren't you being a bit too harsh?” Stark pointed out and Thor was grateful for the support.

The problem was, they weren't wrong. He would always try to talk to Loki before resulting to violence as he had done so many times in the past and as he would probably do in the future. But what hurt him more than any wound he'd ever received was the fact that his shield mates, the people he trusted to have his back, thought so little of him that they feared he would abandon them the first chance he got.

Had he not proven his worth? Was he not deserving of their trust?

Thor narrowed his eyes. Loki was right. He was a fool, had been all his life. There was no such thing as unconditional love, as trust without stipulations placed onto it.

“Jane...will you talk to him? See if he would be willing to maybe come with you for a while until things have cooled down here? Once Fury finds out, he's sure to blow up...” Stark addressed the Lady Jane.

Thor expected her to at least speak up for him but she didn't.

He turned around, not wanting to see anyone. He had things to think about, so called life altering decisions to ponder.

##

“Why won't you come with me?” Jane pleaded but Thor resolutely shook his head.

“Look,” she moved towards him, sitting down in his lap, smiling at him. “You've got a good heart, a big heart even, but thinking ahead isn't your talent. You're an excellent fighter but without Mjollnir you're...”

Thor didn't want her to finish the sentence, so he interrupted her, a grave offense to anything proper but it had to be done. “Jane,” he said gravely, “I thank you for your invitation.” _Even when it was uttered under false pretense and not because your heart desired it_ , he silently added. “But I've got things to address.”

He placed a quick kiss on the top of her nose before he pushed her off his lap. “I wish you well with your life.”

“Thor?” she asked, standing there, unsure. “Are you breaking up with me?”

He gave her a level look. “We are from different worlds,” He slowly said. “I love you, care for you but we have no future. Where do you see this going? Will you eventually come to Asgard with me as my Queen? Will you run through the realms with me should I choose not to reclaim my throne? Or should I follow you wherever you go, lost and without purpose in this realm?”

“It isn't....”

Thor gave her a bright smile before he ushered her out of his room, firmly closing the door behind him. It had taken him long enough but he'd finally seen the light.

Jane would never follow him back to Asgard, give up Midgard to be his Queen. And he couldn't abandoned his people knowing Odin didn't actually have their best interests at heart. Methods weren't always justified and Thor practically shuddered at the though of what other atrocious things his father had done in the past all in the name of peace. Maybe there was a good reason why the other realms feared the warriors of Asgard and it had nothing to do with strength in battle and was more due to cowardly actions on his father's part.

Maybe his outlook was naive. He couldn't rule it out. But what good was it to rule, to proclaim to stand for justice and all the good in the realms, if behind the scenes atrocities were committed?

He'd hoped to make a new life for himself and for his brother here on Midgard. He'd hoped they would stand together, face the oncoming war side by side, maybe not under Asgard's banner but under Midgard's but truthfully, Thor wouldn't have minded.

But he'd been a fool, in more ways than one. Expecting others to put the same kind of trust in him that he was giving them. Something shattered in him, something precious and valuable which wouldn't be easily mended. If it actually could be restored because once a diamond was broken, it couldn't be made whole again.

There was one path he saw opening before him, one path alone. He gathered up his things, putting them into a small bag, flinging it over his shoulder. Then he gripped Mjollnir tight before exciting the room.

He was a tall, big man, cutting an imposing figure. Someone not easily overlooked but he also could walk in the shadows, move as silently as a ghost if he wanted to. He reached the room without anyone being the wiser and then, with a flick of his hand, he was air born, heading towards the coast.

##

He was staring at the crashing ocean waves with wind tousling his blond hair. No, as deplorable as his father's actions were and as controversy as Thor's challenge was, this wasn't why he was standing at the edge of the coast, mourning what could've been.

He allowed himself one precious second of self doubt before he locked those thoughts away. The words had been spoken, his path had been chosen. His mother stood behind him, walking a dangerous path but one that was needed.

Odin was no longer fit to sit on the throne of Asgard. And while Thor didn't think he was actually fit to be a good ruler himself, there was no other choice. His father couldn't be trusted, especially now. He was going to claim the throne of Asgard, he was going to plunge the realm into civil war if need be and he wasn't going to stop until his father was no more.

Only then could he be certain, Odin wasn't going to make a deal with the Chitauri. His mother's fears mirrored his own and he wasn't going to let Odin take the cowardly way out. Sure, no one wanted war but some battles had to be fought for the greater good. War was never supposed to be the first solution, the first thought of any ruler, but there were causes, there were times, when there was no other option.

And there was no peace to be had with the Chitauri.

Thor raised his hammer, pointing it skywards. The challenge had been uttered, the realms trembled and if this made him not only an enemy of Odin's but also an enemy of Midgard, then so be it. He would assemble his army here, find people he could trust and then, he would find quiet ways back home and surprise his father by taking a page out of Loki's book. He wasn't going to attack head on...oh no, he was going to plot, be devious and proof everyone wrong who'd ever thought he was blond and stupid, incapable of any complex thought.

Anger courses through him, white hot and fierce. The earth trembled underneath him as thunder roared through the sky. Lighting flashed overhead, basking the otherwise dark night in blinding white light.

It had begun.

**Author's Note:**

> What do you think? It is written a bit oddly, I admit but this was the way the story wanted to be told...


End file.
